Main image as seen on Marat Daukayev Youth Ballet.
Back in August, an American TV host mocked 6-year old Prince George for taking ballet lessons and incited a social media movement, following the hashtag of #BoysDanceToo, with event boys and young men taking to the streets of New York to show off their dancing prowess.
Since then, the host has since apologised for her comments saying “the comment I made about dance was insensitive, it was stupid and I am deeply sorry.”
It is a shame to still see such stereotypes in society when there are no barriers when it comes to dance, amongst many other things. Billy Elliott was an award winning film that showed a boy being bullied for his love of dancing, but then proving everyone wrong by following his dreams and becoming a success.
An interesting read is over on the BoysBalletAcademy website where Claire Jones puts all the stereotypical images to rest.
“With the stereotypical images of Ballet portrayed as everything pink, tutu’s, fairies and princesses, it’s no wonder many people consider Ballet to be more of a girls sport. But the reality is, ballet for boys is far from girly.
It is a highly physically challenging sport which also requires a strong mental focus. This is true for both boys and girls, however, in boys classes, there is the opportunity to focus more on the steps and movements used mainly by male ballet dancers and focus on building the strength that is required of a male ballet dancer.
Did you know…Male dancers are incredibly strong and can lift over one and one a half tonnes’ worth of ballerinas during a single performance. That equates to the weight of an average car!”
You can read the full article here.
We’d like to know if any of your lads take ballet or dance classes of any kind. Pop us a comment over on our Facebook and Twitter pages!
You can buy Ballerina Dreamer from Smyths Toys, Amazon and over on the Character website.
